RF Lead Engineer

There's a moment in every device's design where RF becomes the constraint, not the feature. A small number of engineers around the world are working on technology that removes that constraint entirely. This is one of those teams, and I'm recruiting on their behalf.

My client is a Cambridge-based, fabless semiconductor company tackling one of the hardest problems in RF front-end design. As cellular bands have multiplied, from a handful in the 2G era to dozens across 4G and 5G, manufacturers have been left juggling escalating complexity, cost, power draw and device variants just to support global connectivity. My client's answer is a reconfigurable, software-defined approach that replaces a stack of fixed filters and switches with a single adaptive solution, treating global connectivity as something you can design in once rather than rebuild for every market. They're well backed by institutional venture investment and are in a genuine growth phase.

Backed by serious venture investment and with real product shipping, this isn't an early-stage gamble, it's a scale-up with something proven, entering its next phase of growth. You'd be joining at a point where the technical foundations are already in place and the impact of your work will be felt company-wide, not buried in a huge team.

The role
My client needs an RF Lead Engineer to take ownership of RF subsystem design and delivery within a defined system architecture, hands-on while also leading and mentoring the RF team around them. You'll be the technical authority in the room, leading design reviews, signing off RF designs, and making the calls on trade-offs that get escalated to you.
Expect to be deep in LNAs, PAs, filters and duplexers day to day, translating system requirements into detailed RF designs, then proving them out through S-parameter, NF, phase noise, EVM and ACPR measurement and troubleshooting. You'll work closely with the System Architect and the wider multi-disciplinary team, with real input into planning and risk decisions, not just execution.

What you'll bring

Strong, hands-on RF design experienc
Leading technical delivery on complex projects
RF theory, measurement and practical implementation
Tools like ADS, AWR, CST or HFSS
VNAs, spectrum analysers and signal generators
A working understanding of 3GPP standards
Experience working with wearables or mobile products
On top of a competitive salary and pension, there's a company share option scheme, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, weekly company lunches, flexible hours and remote work options, private medical insurance, life assurance at 4x salary, income protection, a Healthshield cash plan and a flexible benefits platform

Interested? Get in touch and I'll talk you through the detail

Not quite for you but interested in RF design work?  Get in touch with Sheridan at Pure Resourcing.  We have a number of RF roles available